In January 2009, along with three NUIM colleagues, Dr Conor Murphy travelled to Zambia as part of an NUIM delegation aiming to build a network for transformative education with African Universities around the challenges of climate change and food security. As a member of the Department’s climate change institute, ICARUS, Conor teamed up with the Department of Adult and Community Education, the largest outreach community education providers in Ireland, and crop scientists from the Department of Biology. Following the award of a networking grant of Euro 50,000, the team joined with colleagues from Geography, Education and Biology from Universities in Malawi (Muzu University and Chancellor College) and Zambia (UNZA). Funded by Irish Aid and the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the network seeks to develop novel and innovative educational and research programmes in Malawi and Zambia that will enable local communities, farmers and scientists to develop responses to climate change. Throughout the trip Conor was hugely impressed with the level of expertise and the strength of linkages between the universities and their communities as well as with policy makers, with each university highlighting different aspects of this relationship. The University of Zambia gave the team an insight into the work of a local women’s cooperative concerned with alleviating the impact of HIV/AIDS on families and communities and the problems that increased climate variability was causing for crop productivity and nutrition levels. They also met with Ministry of Agriculture officials responsible for climate change and agricultural policy development and implementation in Zambia. All of the universities have access to expertise in low-input agriculture and the impacts of climate change on local food production and livelihoods

The long term intention of the project is to develop a sustainable education project that will build the capacity of local communities to respond to the impact of climate change. This project will involve policy-makers, higher education institutions and local communities in Ireland and Africa working together to develop greater food security for all. Initial findings from our trip highlighted the enthusiasm of partners for developing a taught interdisciplinary doctorate programme, the development of a series of symposiums and workshops and the pursuit of interdisciplinary research and education activities.